Church group won't picket Amish funerals

A Kansas church group that planned to demonstrate at the
funerals of five Amish girls killed in an attack on their one-room
schoolhouse has dropped the picket plans, a reversal that came
hours after Pennsylvania's governor offered the Amish police
protection.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church issued a statement saying
a representative will appear on a nationally syndicated radio talk
show hosted by Mike Gallagher instead of picketing the
funerals.

Gallagher's website indicated the group was offered an hour of
airtime in exchange for dropping the planned demonstration.

In preparation for the demonstration, Governor Ed Rendell said
that he appealed to the Topeka, Kansas-based group to allow the
Amish to conduct their funerals in privacy.

Members of the church group routinely picket military funerals,
saying that American servicemen and women are dying overseas
because God is displeased that the United States tolerates
homosexuals.

In a statement on its website, the church blamed Rendell for the
deaths of the Amish children because of comments he made about the
Westboro group on national television several months ago.

"They're insane," Rendell responded when asked about the group's
statement.

In June, Rendell signed legislation into Pennsylvania law
designed to restrict Westboro Baptist Church's picketing by making
it a crime to demonstrate within 150 metres of a funeral or
memorial service in Pennsylvania.

State police will provide security at the funerals to keep
reporters, the public and any potential demonstrators at a
"respectful distance" from mourners, said Kate Philips, Rendell's
press secretary.

The Federal Aviation Administration also will keep aircraft,
such as media helicopters, at least four kilometres away, she
said.

The state police may allow a single helicopter in the sky for
pool television coverage, if the Amish approve, she said.

"We're trying to look at every possible precaution available
with the ultimate goal of allowing these people to mourn as we
would want to if this happened to our family," Philips said.

On Monday morning, Charles Carl Roberts IV entered the West
Nickel Mines Amish School in Lancaster County and shot 10 girls,
killing five.